Sanders named to lead Chamber of Commerce

Mayor Jerry Sanders will become the next president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, ending speculation about his future once he leaves elected office next month because of term limits.

The move comes as the chamber is making a concerted effort to
wield more influence over local politics
and gives Sanders an advocacy role to continue working on major civic issues, such as the proposed expansion of the San Diego Convention Center, that he began while in office.

Sanders, 62, starts working for the chamber Dec. 4, the day after his successor at City Hall — Democratic Rep. Bob Filner — is sworn in.

The new job will represent a substantial raise over his current $100,000 salary. Details on Sanders’ salary and benefits package are still being negotiated, but his compensation will be similar to the $302,000 his predecessor —
Ruben Barrales
— made in 2010, said Ashley Hause, a chamber spokeswoman. Sanders will also receive his city pension, which in 2011 reached $110,000, according to the San Diego City Employees’ Retirement System.

In a news conference Thursday at Embarcadero Marina Park, Sanders said the convention center expansion and improving the Otay Mesa border crossing will be among his top priorities. The mayor, whose popularity crosses party lines, will also be responsible for raising money for the chamber’s political-action committee.

“The question for me was how I could continue to contribute to a city that’s allowed me to raise my family and do work over the years that’s been extremely rewarding,” Sanders said. “... The more I thought about it the more I became convinced that this would be a great job.”

The chamber has been a staunch ally for Sanders during his seven years as mayor as he has often relied on the advice of local business leaders. The group has largely backed Sanders on major initiatives, including his proposed sales-tax increase that voters roundly rejected in 2010.

Now Sanders, who
endorsed Carl DeMaio
in the mayoral race, will be on the other side of that equation, trying to convince and cajole
Filner
into supporting major civic projects that the business community favors. Topping that list will be projects that Sanders shepherded while in office, such as the convention center expansion and the Chargers stadium search.

Sanders' ability to lobby will be restricted on city matters under rules from the
City of San Diego Ethics Commission
. He will not be allowed to discuss chamber business with city officials privately for a year, as part of a “cooling off” period. As a former elected official — in contrast with appointed officials — the mayor will be prohibited from speaking on behalf of the chamber before city government bodies even in a public setting, said Stacey Fulhorst, executive director of the commission. The ethics commission rules do not apply to state government bodies, or to other local government agencies like the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority or the Port Commission.

Speculation had been rampant for weeks that Sanders was eyeing the chamber job, but when he was asked about it last month he was evasive. Sanders said Thursday that he was contacted last week about the job opening by Vince Mudd, chairman of the chamber’s five-member search committee.

Mudd said the chamber was looking for “a person with the ability to build consensus with diverse political constituencies, business and labor interests, and with the proven record of building strong support for very big challenges.”

“We believe we have found the person that exceeds all of our expectations and will place the chamber on a powerful path,” Mudd said of Sanders. He would later add, “It’s a beautiful match. His public sector experience matches our private sector experience.”

Sanders has never run a private, for-profit business, though he ran the non-profit United Way of San Diego for four years before becoming mayor.

Sanders also will be tasked with raising the chambers’ political profile. In an interview last month, Mudd said the group wants to ratchet up its influence on elections and shaping public policy. The chamber wants to expand its ability to financially support candidates and ballot initiatives. Mudd said Sanders is an ideal fit for that role.

“The mayor has turned out to be an effective fundraiser, he can grow our PAC,” he said.

He was welcomed by some members of the chamber.

“From what I know of Mayor Sanders, he’s done a great job,” said
Rich Phillips
, a business coach. “The guy’s been able to bring together both sides of the table.”

“I know Mayor Sanders has a very long and good history with the City of San Diego,” he said.

Sanders’ influence on the organization likely won’t be felt until later next year because of a planned vacation to Italy with his wife in January. He won’t return until April 1.

Barrales, 50, announced his resignation in September after running the 3,000-member chamber since 2006.

Sanders leaves the Mayor’s Office held in high esteem by many because of his efforts to turn San Diego’s finances around. When he took office in 2005, he inherited a dysfunctional city government saddled with a massive pension deficit and unable to borrow money. He pushed through various reforms that have largely stabilized city finances.